Vehicle safety braking system

Claim 2

In combination with a vehicle having a chassis, a body, and pivot means pivotally connecting said body to said chassis for dumping a load in said body by movement of the rearward portion of said body downwardly and the forward portion of said body upwardly, said vehicle having brakes, a safety device for said vehicle comprising a bumper assembly including an impact member adapted to engage an obstruction, and link means pivotally connecting said impact member to said body, means responsive to engagement of said impact member with an obstruction for applying said brakes, and means for retracting said bumper assembly upon said movement of said body, said retracting means including cable means attached to said bumper assembly and to said chassis for pulling upwardly relative to said body on said assembly upon said movement of said body.

Claim 3

A device as recited in claim 1 in which said cable means includes a flexible cable connected to said assembly, and guide means for said flexible cable, said guide means including a portion directing said flexible cable between said forward portion of said body and a portion of said chassis forwardly of said pivot means, whereby upon said upward movement of said forward portion of said body, said cable is caused to exert a pull on said assembly.

Claim 4

A device as recited in claim 2 in which said guide means directs said cable upwardly from said assembly to said rearward portion of said body, forwardly to said forward portion of said body, and downwardly from said forward portion of said body to said chassis.

Claim 5

A device as recited in claim 3 including resilient means for allowing limited elongation of said flexible cable.

Claim 6

A device as recited in claim 4 in which said resilient means is a tension spring one end of which is attached to said flexible cable and the other end of which is attached to said chassis.

Claim 7

A device as recited in claim 1 in which said means responsive to engagement of said impact member with an obstruction includes a switch having operating means movable by said link means.

Claim 8

A device as recited in claim 1 in which said link means includes at least one forward link and one rearward link pivotally connected to said body and depending therefrom, said forward and rearward links carrying said bumper assembly.

Claim 9

A device as recited in claim 7 in which said bumper assembly includes an impact member transversely of said vehicle, and at least one member longitudinally of said vehicle, said forward and rearward links having lower ends pivotally connected to said member longitudinally of said vehicle.

Claim 10

A device as recited in claim 8 in which said rearward link includes two sections, and means interconnecting said two sections for enabling said rearward link to fold upwardly upon said retraction of said bumper assembly.

Claim 11

A device as recited in claim 9 in which said cable means is attached to said rearward link.

Claim 12

A device as recited in claim 10 including spring means attached to said forward link for normally maintaining said bumper assembly in an extended position.

Claim 13

In a vehicle having a chassis, a braking system, gear selector means for selecting the mode of motion for said vehicle, and a body pivotally mounted to said chassis for pivotal movement relative to said chassis, said body including a rearward end portion projecting rearwardly from said chassis, said rearward end portion being movable downwardly as said body pivotally moves upon said chassis, a bumper device comprising an impact member, means for mounting said impact member on said body for motion between an extended operative position in which said impact member may engage an obstacle and a retracted inoperative position in which said impact member clears said vehicle as said body so moves relative to said chassis, said means for mounting said impact member on said body comprising linkage means pivotally connected between said impact member and said rearward portion of said body and depending downwardly therefrom, resilient means for urging said linkage means to a position where said impact member is in said extended operative position, means responsive to movement of said body relative to said chassis for moving said impact member from said extended to said retracted position thereof, said means for moving said impact member to said retracted position comprising cable means engaged with said linkage means and connected to said chassis for moving said linkage means so that said linkage means causes said impact member to move to said retracted inoperative position in response to pivotal motion of said body upon said chassis, a brake actuator responsive to an energizing signal for operating said system, control means having a first unoperated state and a second operated state in which an energizing signal is fed to said brake actuator, means responsive to said gear selector means for enabling said control means when a predetermined direction of motion of the vehicle is selected, bumper switch means responsive to impact of said bumper with an obstacle for driving said control means from said unoperated to said operated state whereby said braking system will be operated upon impact of said bumper with an obstacle when said vehicle is moving in a selected direction, and means for causing said braking system to remain energized after termination of said impact.

Claim 14

In a vehicle having a chassis, a braking system, gear selector means for selecting the mode of motion for said vehicle, and a body pivotally mounted to said chassis for pivotal movement relative to said chassis, said body including a rearward end portion projecting rearwardly from said chassis, said rearward end portion being movable downwardly as said body pivotally moves upon said chassis, a bumper device comprising an impact member, means for mounting said impact member on said body for motion between an extended operative position in which said impact member may engage an obstacle and a retracted inoperative position in which said impact member clears said vehicle as said body so moves relative to said chassis, said means for mounting said impact member on said body comprising linkage means pivotally connected between said impact member and said rearward portion of said body and depending downwardly therefrom, resilient means for urging said linkage means to a position where said impact member is in said extended operative position, means responsive to movement of said body relative to said chassis for moving said impact member from said extended to said retracted position thereof, said means for moving said impact member to said retracted position comprising cable means engaged with said linkage means and connected to said chassis for moving said linkage means so that said linkage means causes said impact member to move to said retracted inoperative position in response to pivotal motion of said body upon said chassis, a brake actuator responsive to an energizing signal for operating said system, control means having a first unoperated state and a second operated state in which an energizing signal is fed to said brake actuator, means responsive to said gear selector means for enabling said control means when a predetermined direction of motion of the vehicle is selected, bumper switch means responsive to impact of said bumper with an obstacle for driving said control means from said unoperated to said operated state whereby said braking system will be operated upon impact of said bumper with an obstacle when said vehicle is moving in a selected direction, and means for causing said braking system to remain energized after termination of said impact.

Claim 15

In a vehicle having a chassis and a body movable relative to said chassis, a bumper device comprising an impact member, means for mounting said impact member on said body for motion between an extended operative position in which said impact member may engage an obstacle and a retracted inoperative position in which said impact member clears said vehicle as said body so moves relative to said chassis, said means for mounting said impact member on said body comprising linkage means interconnecting said body and said impact member, and resilient means interconnected between said body and said linkage means for biasing said linkage means toward a position in which said impact member is in said extended operative position, and means responsive to movement of said body relative to said chassis for moving said impact member from said extended to said retracted position thereof.

Claim 16

In a vehicle having a chassis and a body movable relative to said chassis, a bumper device comprising an impact member, means for mounting said impact member on said body for motion between an extended operative position in which said impact member may engage an obstacle and a retracted inoperative position in which said impact member clears said vehicle as said body so moves relative to said chassis, said means for mounting said impact member on said body comprising linkage means interconnecting said body and said impact member, and resilient means interconnected between said body and said linkage means for biasing said linkage means toward a position in which said impact member is in said extended operative position, and means responsive to movement of said body relative to said chassis for moving said impact member from said extended to said retracted position thereof.

Claim 17

In a vehicle having a chassis and a body pivotally mounted to said chassis, said body including a rearward end portion projecting rearwardly from said chassis, said rearward end portion being movable downwardly as said body pivotally moves on said chassis, a bumper device comprising an impact member, means for mounting said impact member on said body for motion between an extended operative position in which said impact member may engage an obstacle and a retracted inoperative position in which said impact member clears said vehicle as said body so moves relative to said chassis, said means for mounting said impact member on said body comprising linkage means pivotally connected between said impact member and said rearward portion of said body and depending downwardly therefrom, resilient means for urging said linkage means to a position where said impact member is in said extended operative position for maintaining said impact member in said extended operative position, and means for moving said impact member to said retracted position comprising cable means engaged with said linkage means and connected to said chassis for moving said linkage means so that said linkage means causes said impact member to move to said retracted inoperative position in response to pivotal motion of said body upon said chassis.

Claim 18

In a vehicle having a chassis and a body pivotally mounted to said chassis, said body including a rearward end portion projecting rearwardly from said chassis, said rearward end portion being movable downwardly as said body pivotally moves on said chassis, a bumper device comprising an impact member, means for mounting said impact member on said body for motion between an extended operative position in which said impact member may engage an obstacle and a retracted inoperative position in which said impact member clears said vehicle as said body so moves relative to said chassis, said means for mounting said impact member on said body comprising linkage means pivotally connected between said impact member and said rearward portion of said body and depending downwardly therefrom, resilient means for urging said linkage means to a position where said impact member is in said extended operative position for maintaining said impact member in said extended operative position, and means for moving said impact member to said retracted position comprising cable means engaged with said linkage means and connected to said chassis for moving said linkage means so that said linkage means causes said impact member to move to said retracted inoperative position in response to pivotal motion of said body upon said chassis.